Fire-escape



Patented Dec. 20, I898.

0. R. HANSKEY.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1898.)

(N0 Model.)

wanna THE NORRIS PETEHS co. PHoTaLlmu. WASHWGTGN. n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

OLE R. I-IANSKEY, OF LAKE PRESTON, SOUTH DAKOTA FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,318, dated December20. 1898.

Application filed January 29, 1898. Serial No. 668,449. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLE R. HANSKEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lake Preston, in the county of Kin gsbury and State of SouthDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fire-escapes; and the object in view is toprovide a combined article of furniture, such as a washstand andfire-escape, the said article being equipped with means whereby it isadapted to be suspended from a window-sill or other opening in the wallof a buildingand also having means whereby a person may lower himselffrom the window to the ground. 7

The detailed objects and ad vantages of the invention will be pointedout in the course of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in an improved fireescape embodying certain novelfeatures and details of construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, andincorporated in the claims hereto appended. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of thecombined article of furniture and fire-escape, showing the same for useas an article of furniture. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through theapparatus, showing the same adapted for use as a fire-escape andsuspended from a Window-sill. Fig. 3 is a section through the article inthe condition shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailperspective View showing the upper portion of the device and thelowering apparatus. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of thesuspending arm or bracket.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Referring to the drawings,1 designates what may constitute the stand orcasing of a table or washstand, the same being provided with a removabletop, lid, or cover 2, which when the device is used as a fire-escape isremoved, so as to give access to the parts contained therein. The casing1 is left open at top and bottom and forms a portion of the cage inwhich the operator descends.

Arranged removably within the casing l is a vertically-sliding box 3,forming the lower portion of the cage, and this inner box is closed atits bottom, as indicated at 4:, to provide a floor upon which theoperator may stand. The inner box 3 is provided along its top edge andupon its outer side with cleats or flanges 5, and the outer casing 1 isprovided at its bottom and along itsinner surface with cooperatingcleats or flanges 6, and when these flanges or cleats 5 and 6 come incontact with each other they limit the further downward movement of thebox 4 with relation to the outer casing 1, thus forming a cage ofsufficient height to enable a person to stand therein while loweringhimself to the ground Without danger of being injured by the flames fromthe building.

The casin g 1 is provided at one side with an opening '7, and outside ofsaid opening with a shallow housing 8, and in said opening and housingis journaled a drum 9, upon which is wound a hoisting and lowering cable10. At one side this drum is provided with a beveled gear 11, andmeshing with said gear is a second beveled gear 12,provided with acrankhandle 13, arranged in convenient position in the casing 1, so asto be operated by the person standing therein. The cable 10 is fast atits opposite end to the opposite side of the casing 1, as shown at 14,and'at an intermediate point said cable runs over a groovepulley 15,arranged in an opening 16 in the outer end of an armor bracket 17, theinner end of which is bifurcated, as shown at 18. In said bifurcation isarranged a cross bar or pin 19, embraced by the loop end 20 of a metalstay or rod 21, having at its opposite or free end a hook 22, adapted tobe engaged with a second hook or projection 23, arranged beneath aWindow-sill and upon the inside of a room.

In operation the lid 2 is removed from the casing 1. The arm or bracket17 is then taken from the upper portion of the casing and ar= rangedacross the window-sill, while the stay or rod 21 is booked in the mannerdescribed. The casing 1 is now put through the window, and the inner box3 is allowed to drop downward until it reaches its limit. The operatornow enters the casing or cage and stands upon I the floor 4, at the sametime grasping the crank-handle 13. By turning said handle in aparticular direction he is enabled to lower himself to the ground. Inorder to prevent the too rapid descent of the cage, a suitablefriction-brake may be applied either to the drum 7 or to the beveledgear-wheel 12. Each room in a hotel or apartment-house or privatedwelling may be thus equipped with a complete and reliable fire escapewithout the presence of such an article being noticeable. The casing maybe hoisted again to the window or opening by means of a second cable 24,wound upon a drum 25, arranged under the drum 0 and geared thereto byspur gearwheels 26. In first lowering the casing the drum 25 isrevolved, but the cable 24 does not unwind therefrom. Vhen the operatorwishes to elevate the casing, the end of the cable 24 is passed throughan opening 27 in the bottom of the casing, and the operator standingupon the ground, by pulling on the cable 24, can revolve both drums andrewind cable 10 upon drum 9, thus elevating the fireescape andpermitting a second person to use the same. A hook or latch 28 may beemployed to engage and hold the operating crank while a person isgetting into the basket or casing.

It will of course be understood that the fireescape hereinabovedescribed is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, andminor details of construction, which may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention. it

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A combined article of furniture and fireescape, embodying a casingforming a cage in which the operator may descend, a supporting-bracketremovably contained within said casing, means on said bracket providingfor its attachment to the frame of a window or other opening, alowering-cable secured to said casing and passing over a pulley on saidarm or bracket, a drum journaled in the easing, operating meanstherefor, and a hook for engaging and holding the operating meanssubstantially as described.

2. In a fire-escape, a combined article of furniture and descendingcage, embodying a casing, a telescoping box contained wholly therein andextensible through one end of the casing and provided with a floor uponwhich the operator may stand, a supporting-bracket removably fittingwithin the casing, a hooked stay on the bracket providing for theattachment of the bracket to the frame of awindow or other opening, adrum in said casing, a cable passing around said drum and over a pulleyon the bracket, an operating-crank for winding or unwinding said drum,and a hook in the casing for holding said crank from movin gsubstantially as described.

A combined article of furniture and fireescape comprising a casing, asupportingbracket therefor designed to be supported on a window-sill andremovably fitted within the casing, a pulley carried by said bracket, adrum and actuating means therefor arranged in the casing, ahoisting-cable wound thereon and passing over the bracket-pulley, and asecond drum geared to and parallel with the first drum and having woundthereon a driving-cable extending downward through the bottom of anextensible part of the casing, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OLE R. IIANSKEY.

Vitnesses:

KNUTE LEWIS, M. M. LARK.

